Location from The Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb
The stronghold of the Servants — an island fortress where White-born children are bred and imprisoned for their prophetic gifts, the final destination of Fitz's last quest.
Clerres is the most disturbing location in the saga because it looks so reasonable. The Servants present themselves as scholars and caretakers of prophetic tradition. They breed White-born children for prophetic gifts, raise them in controlled environments, and use their visions to manipulate world events. The facility is clean, well-organized, and utterly monstrous. The archives contain centuries of collected prophecies, meticulously indexed and cross-referenced. The breeding programs are documented with clinical precision. The children's quarters are comfortable. Everything about Clerres says 'we are doing this for the greater good,' and nothing about Clerres is good.
A white-walled island fortress that looks beautiful from a distance — gleaming towers, manicured grounds, an air of scholarly serenity. Up close, the beauty curdles. The walls are too high, the gates too secure, and the smiling attendants too watchful. It is a prison designed to look like a school, an exploitation machine wearing the face of a temple.
Also known as: Clerres, The White Island